5 THINGS AFLW STAR REBECCA BEESON LEARNED IN HER FIRST PILATES CLASS

Posted on 6 August 2018 by Amy King, Founder, CORE+

Rebecca Beeson seems to be one of those people that’s good at everything she does. She’s spent her life playing sport, from touch rugby to cricket to AFL to soccer, and has exceeded at all of them. But when she turned 18, she decided to focus her energy on AFL. It’s a good thing she did, because a year or two later, the AFL Women’s competition was announced.

Now 21, Bec is about to play her third season for the GWS Giants in the AFLW, and has recently come to Melbourne to play for the Hawks in between seasons to experience playing in the VFL and to mix it up in another city for a while.

While she knows her way around the football field, the yoga and Pilates studio was new territory for her. We invited Bec in for a CORE+ class to show her what we’re all about, and prove it’s perfect for beginners… but still a tough workout!

What does your normal exercise regime look like?

It involves a lot of work in the gym, primarily lifting weights. At the Hawks we have one main training session per week, but you’ll find me in the gym pretty much every other day. I’m focussed on developing my strength and putting on some more body mass so I don’t get thrown around as much on the field!

Now that you’ve tried a CORE+ class, what are your top 5 tips for other beginners?

Make sure you bring a towel!In my first hot pilates session, I forgot to bring a towel, and it got real sweaty, real quick.

Wear tights I wore running shorts to my first class and was quite restricted with the moves I could do. Plus, everyone else wears tights so for the sake of visual uniformity I have converted to tights also.

Expect some sore glutes the following day.Especially from the ‘pulsing lunge’, which seems to be a favourite among Pilates instructors… It’s a real butt-burner.

Prepare for a great night’s sleep!I did a night session, and I came home afterwards feeling very relaxed and slept like a baby.

It’s actually quite difficultI assumed that because I do a lot of gym work, and consider myself to be quite strong, that Pilates would be easy. However, I was quite wrong… and it was pretty hard! It’s definitely a solid workout.

What did you like the most about CORE+ classes?

I really like how the session incorporates a bit of everything – flexibility work, cardio, breathing techniques and strength. It’s a very holistic workout experience.

Any advice for other sports fanatics and gym junkies that might want to give it a try?

Absolutely! I think yoga is fantastic for recovery – especially after a tough game or workout when the body is quite sore.

On the other hand, Pilates is great for an alternative workout that doesn’t place too much stress on the body, and is more enjoyable than jogging around an oval or slogging away on a treadmill in the gym.

I think there are a lot of preconceived ideas about yoga and pilates, however, my advice would be to give it a go because I found that it’s quite different to what I expected. It is actually quite challenging and I find it to be really beneficial.

Thinking about trying yoga and Pilates but have a question first? Drop by the CORE+ Facebook page and ask away!